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Abell 2142

(Image and Text Credit: NASA/CXC/SAO)

The image shows a colossal cosmic
"weather system" produced by the
collision of two giant clusters of
galaxies. For the first time, the
pressure fronts in the system can be
traced in detail, and they show a
bright, but relatively cool 50 million
degree central region (white)
embedded in large elongated cloud
of 70 million degree gas (magenta),
all of which is roiling in a faint
atmosphere of 100 million degree
gas (faint magenta and dark blue).
The bright source in the upper left is
an active galaxy in the cluster.
Abell 2142 is six million light years across and contains hundreds of galaxies and
enough gas to make a thousand more. It is one of the most massive objects in the
universe. Galaxy clusters grow to vast sizes as smaller clusters are pulled inward
under the influence of gravity. They collide and merge over the course of billions
of years, releasing tremendous amounts of energy that heats the cluster gas. The
smoothness of the elongated cloud in the Chandra image suggests that these
sub-clusters have collided two or three times in a billion years or more, and have
nearly completed their merger.
Chandra X-ray Observatory